ON THE HUNT
Foraging is a big part of the seasonal eating trend. ‘It’s not just good for you, a sustainable way to eat and free, but the plants taste magical,’ says Liz Knight, author of Forage, which features 50 plants you can forage for, accompanied by illustrations so you can easily identify them and recipes so you can cook with them too. ‘Wild plants are unique little mouthfuls that have the power to transform food from ordinary to joyful.’ You do need to be careful, though – not all plants are edible, and you need to forage responsibly and legally, so check your local regulations with your council before you start snipping. Here are a couple of recipes to inspire you…
YARROW AND TOMATO SALAD
Yarrow’s culinary use is as a flavouring. It is sensational used instead of, or paired with, basil; and just like basil, yarrow’s aromatic, bitter flavour is perfect for seasoning summer food, such as this most simple but mouthwatering of tomato salads.
Serves 4
8 large ripe tomatoes, at room temperature
A few sprigs of yarrow stem with leaves and flowers
2 shallots or a handful of onion greens, finely chopped Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt
1. Thinly slice the tomatoes from top to bottom, and lay on a serving plate. Pull the yarrow leaves and flowers into small pieces (about ½cm). Evenly scatter the yarrow and shallot or onion greens across the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and serve at room temperature with bread or as a side salad.
SAUTÉED DANDELIONS –HINBEH
Dandelions have been in our diets for thousands of years and they are a nutritional powerhouse. From the roots to the flowers, all parts are edible.
Serves 4
200g dandelion greens (a colander full)
100ml extra virgin olive oil 4 medium onions, thinly sliced Salt, to taste
Lemon wedges, to serve Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)
1. Thoroughly wash and drain the dandelion greens. Trim the bottoms of the stalks and coarsely chop. Fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat. Add salt to taste then add the dandelions. Bring back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the dandelions and dunk them in a bowl of iced water. Drain the cooked greens in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
2. Add the olive oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn a rich golden brown. Remove half of the onions with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on several layers of kitchen roll. Add the dandelion leaves to the remaining fried onions in the pan. Sauté over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring until the greens and onions are mixed.
3. Leave to cool before serving at room temperature, with a squeeze of lemon and garnished with the crispy onions. If you’d like a little heat, sprinkle over chilli flakes. ‘Forage: Wild Plants To Gather, Cook And Eat’ by Liz Knight (£16.99, Laurence King Publishing). Illustrations: Rachel Pedder-smith